MCI EDUCATION CENTRE

New No.3, Old No.1, Rams Flats,

IIIrd Main Road, Gandhi Nagar,
Adyar, Chennai – 600 020.
99400 68489

APPLICATION OF DERIVATIVES
Rate of change of Bodies
Very short answer type questions
1. The contentment obtained after eating x-units of a new dish at a trial function is given by the function
f ( x)  x3  6 x 2  5 x  3. If the marginal contentment is defined as the rate of change of f ( x) with respect to the
number of units consumed at an instant, then find the marginal contentment when three units of dish are consumed.
Short Answer Type Questions
1. The volume of a cube is increasing at the rate of 9 cm3/sec. How fast the surface area increasing when the length of an
edge is 10cm.
2. The length x, of a rectangle is decreasing at the rate of 5 cm/minute and the width y, is increasing, at the rate of
4cm/minute. When x  8 cm and y  6cm, find the rate of change of the area of the rectangle.
3. The volume of sphere is increasing at the rate of 8 cm3/sec. Find the rate at which its surface area is increasing when
the radius of the sphere is 12cm.
4. The volume of a sphere is increasing at the rate of 3 cubic centimetre per second. Find the rate of increase of its
surface area, when the radius is 2cm.
5. For the curve y  5 x  2 x 3 , if x increases at the rate of 2 units/sec, then find the rate of change of the slope of the
curve when x  3.
6. The radius r of a right circular cone is decreasing at the rate of 3cm/minute and the height h is increasing at the rate of
2 cm/minute. When r  9cm and h = 5 cm, find the rate of change of its volume.
7. A particle moves along the curve 6 y  x 2  2. Find the points on the curve at which y  coordinate is changing 2
times as fast as x-coordinate
8. The radius r of a right circular cylinder is increasing at the rate of 5cm/min and its height h, is decreasing at the rate
of 4 cm/min. when r  8 cm and h= 6 cm, find the rate of change of the volume of cylinder.
2
9. A balloon, which always remains spherical, has a variable diameter (3x  1) . Find the rate of change of its volume
3
with respect to x.
10. The radius r of a right circular cylinder is decreasing at the rate of 3cm/min. and its height h is increasing at the rate of
2 cm/min. when r = 7 cm and h = 2 cm, find the rate of change of the volume of cylinders.
11. The radius r of a right circular cylinder is increasing uniformly at the rate of 0.3cm/s and its height h is decreasing at
the rate of 0.4cm/s. when r = 3.5 cm and h = 7 cm, find the rate of change of the curved surface area of the cylinder.
12. The radius r of the base of right circular cone is decreasing at the rate of 2cm/min. and height h is increasing at the
rate of 3 cm/min. when r=3.5cm and h = 6 cm, find the rate of change of the volume of the cone.
13. The total revenue received from the sale of x units of a product is given by R( x)  3x 2  36 x  5 in rupees. Find the
marginal revenue when x  5, where by marginal revenue we mean the rate of change of total revenue with respect
to the number of items sold at an instant.
Long Answer Type Questions – I
1. The side of an equilateral triangle is increasing, at the rate of 2 cm/s. At what rate is its area increasing when the side
of the triangle is 20cm.
2. A ladder 5 m long is leaning against a wall. The bottom of the ladder is pulled along the ground, away from the wall, at
the rate of 2cm/s. How fast is its height on the wall decreasing, when the foot of the ladder is 4 m away from the wall.
3. Sand is pouring from the pipe at the rate of 12cm3/s. the falling sand forms a cone on a ground in such a way that the
height of cone is always one-sixth of radius of the base. How fast is the height of sand cone increasing when the height
is 4cm.
4. The total cost associated with provision of free mid-day meals to x students of a school in primary classes is given by
dc
C ( x)  0.005 x3  0.02 x 2  30 x  50. If the marginal cost is given by rate of change of total cost, write the
dx
marginal cost of food for 300 students.
5. The total expenditure (in Rs) required for providing the cheap edition of a book for poor and deserving students is
dR
given by R( x)  3x 2  36 x, where x is the number of set of books. If the marginal expenditure is defined as ,
dx
write the marginal expenditure required for 1200 such sets.
6. The amount of pollution content added in air in a city due to x-diesel vehicles is given by
p( x)  0.0053x3  0.02 x 2  30 x Find the marginal increase in pollution content when 3 diesel vehicles are added.
7. The money to be spent for the welfare of the employees of firm is proportional to the rate of change of its total
revenuer (marginal revenue). If the total revue (in Rupees) received from the sale of x units of a product is given by
R( x)  3x 2  36 x  5, find the marginal revenue, when x  5.
8. If c  0.003x3  0.02 x 2  6 x  250 gives the amount of carbon pollution in air in an area on the entry of x number
of vehicles, then find the marginal carbon pollution in the air, when 3 vehicles have entered in the area.

2. INCREASING/DECREASING FUNCTIONS
Objective type questions

1. The interval on which the function f ( x)  2 x3  9 x 2  12 x  1 decreasing is :

(a) [1, ) (b) [2, 1] (c) (, 2] (d) [1,1]

2. y  x( x  3) 2 decreases for the values of x given by :

3
(a) 1  x  3 (b) x  0 (c) x  0 (d) 0  x 
2

3. The function f ( x)  4sin 3 x  6sin 2 x  12sin x  100 is strictly.

 3p  p 
(a) Increasing in  p,  (b) Decreasing in  ,P
 2  2 

 p p   p
(c) Decreasing in  ,  (d) Decreasing in  0, 
 2 2  2

 
4. Which of the following functions is decreasing on  0, .
 2

(a) sin 2x (b) tan x (c) cos x (d) cos3x

5. The function f ( x) = tan x  x

(a) always increases (b) always decreases (c) never increases (d) sometimes increases and sometime decreases

Short Answer type Questions

1. Show that the function f ( x)  x3  3x 2  6 x  100 is increasing on R.

2. Show that the function f ( x)  4 x3  18 x 2  27 x  7 is always increasing or R.

  
3. Show that the function f given by f ( x)  tan  1(sin x)  cos x) is decreasing for all x   , 
4 2

Long Answer type questions – I

3 4 4 3 36
1. Find the intervals in which f ( x)  x  x  3x 2  x  11 is (a) strictly increasing (b) strictly decreasing
10 5 5

2. Find the intervals in which the function f ( x)  4 x 4  4 x3  12 x 2  5 is (a) Strictly increasing (b) strictly decreasing.
 3 4
3. Find the intervals in which the function f ( x)  x  4 x3  45x 2  51
2

(i) strictly increasing (ii) strictly decreasing

x4
4. Find the intervals in which the function f ( x)   x3  5x 2  24 x  12
4

(a) Strictly increasing (b) strictly decreasing.

 
5. Separate the intervals  0,  into sub intervals in which f ( x)  sin 4 x  cos 4 x is increasing or decreasing.
 2

6. Find the intervals in which the function given by f ( x)  sin x  cos x, 0  x  2 is

(a) increasing (b) decreasing

7. Find the value (s) of x for which y  [ x( x  2)]2 is an increasing functions.

2x
8. Show that y  log(1  x)  , x  1, is an increasing function of x throughout its domain.
2 x

1
9. Determine for what values of x, the function f ( x)  x3  ( x  0) is strictly increasing or strictly.
x3

4
10. Find the intervals in which the functions f ( x)  3log(1  x)  4log(2  x)  is strictly decreasing.
2 x

11. Find the intervals in which the functions given by f ( x)  2 x3  3x 2  36 x  7 is

(i) Strictly increasing (ii) strictly decreasing.

12. Find the intervals in which the function f ( x)  2 x3  9 x 2  12 x  1 is (i) Strictly Increasing (ii) strictly decreasing

13. Find the intervals in which the function given by f ( x)  x 4  8 x3  22 x 2  24 x  21 is (i) increasing, (ii) decresing.

14. Find the intervals in which the function f ( x)  ( x  1)3 ( x  2) 2 is (i) increasing (ii) decreasing

15. Show that the function f ( x)  x3  3x 2  3x, x  R is increasing on R.

16. Find the intervals in which the function f ( x)  2 x3  9 x 2  12 x  20 is (i) increasing (ii) decreasing.

17. Find the intervals in which the function f ( x)  2 x3  9 x 2  12 x  15 is (i) increasing (ii) decreasing.

18. Find the intervals in which the function f ( x)  2 x3  15 x 2  36 x  17 is (i) increasing (ii) decreasing

19. Find the intervals in which the function f ( x)  2 x3  9 x 2  12 x  15 is (i) increasing (ii) decreasing

20. Find the intervals in which the function f ( x)  ( x  1)( x  2) 2 is increasing or decreasing

21. Find the intervals in which the function f ( x)  x3  12 x 2  36 x  17 is increasing or decreasing function.

22. Find the intervals in which the function f ( x)  20  9 x  6 x 2  x3 is (i) Strictly increasing (ii) strictly decreasing
 4sin   
23. Prove that y    is an increasing function of  on 0,  .
2  cos   2

Long answer type Questions

1. Find the intervals in which f ( x)  sin 3x  cos 3x, 0  x   , is strictly increasing or strictly decreasing.

2. Prove that the function f defined by f ( x)  x 2  x  1 in neither increasing nor decreasing in (-1, 1) . Hence

Find the intervals in which f ( x) is : (i) strictly increasing (ii) strictly decreasing.

3. Find the intervals in which the function f given by f ( x)  sin x  cos x, 0  x  2 is strictly increasing or strictly
decreasing.

3. MAXIMA AND MINIMA

Objective type questions

1. Let the f : R  R be defined by f ( x)  2 x  cos x, then f :

(a) has a minimum at x   (b) Has a maximum, at x  0 (c) is a decreasing function (d) is an increasing function

2. If x is real, the minimum value of x 2  8x  17 is

(a) – 1 (b) 0 (c) 1 (d) 2

3. The smallest value of the polynomial x3  18x 2  96 x is [0,9] is

(a) 126 (b) 0 (c) 135 (d) 160

4. The function f ( x)  2 x3  3x 2  12 x  4, has

(a) two points of local maximum (b) two points of local minimum

(c) one maxima and one minima (d) no maxima or minima

5. The maximum value of sin x.cos x is

1 1
(a) (b) (c) 2 (d) 2 2
4 2

6. Maximum slope of the curve y  x3  3x 2  9 x  27 is

(a) 0 (b) 12 (c) 16 (d) 32

x
1
7. The maximum value of   is :
x
1/ e
e 1/e 1
(a) e (b) e (c) e (d)  
e

Long Answer type questions – I

1. An open lank with a square base and vertical sides is to be constructed from a metal sheet so as to hold a given
quantity of water. Show that the cost of material will be least when depth of the tank is half of its width. If the cost is
to be borne by nearby settled lower income families, for whom water will be provided, what kind of value is hidden in
this question?
Long Answer Type Question – II

1. Find the local maxima and local minima, of the function f ( x)  sin x  cos x, 0  x  2 . Also find the local
maximum and local minimum values.

2. Find the absolute maximum and absolute minimum values of function f given by f ( x)  sin 2 x  cos x, x  [0,  ]

3. A tank with rectangular base and rectangular sides open at the top is to be constructed so that its depth is 3 m and
volume is 75 cm3. If Building of tank costs Rs.100 per square metre for the base and Rs.50 per square metre for the
sides, find the cost of least expensive tank.

4. A jet of enemy is flying along, the curve y  x 2  2 and a soldier is placed at the point (3, 2). Find the minimum
distance between the soldier and the jet.

5. Find the point P on the curve y 2  4ax which is nearest to the point (11a, 0).

6. A given rectangular area is to be fenced off, in a field whose length lies along the river. Show that the least length will
be required when length of the field is twice its breadth.

7. An open box, with a square base is to be made out of a given quantity of metal sheet of area c 2 . show that the
c3
maximum volume of the box is .
6 3

8. A cuboidal shaped godown with square base is to be constructed. Three times as much cost per square meter is in
curved for constructing the roof as compared to the walls. Find the dimensions of the godown if it is to enclose a given
volume and minimize the cost of constructing the roof and the walls.

9. A metal box with a square base and vertical sides is to contain 1024 cm3. The material for the top and bottom costs
Rs.5 per cm2 and the material for the sides costs Rs.2.50/cm2. Find the least cost of the box.

10. Find the points of local maxima, local minima and the points of inflection of the function f ( x)  x5  5 x 4  5 x3  1.
Also find the corresponding local maximum and local minimum values.

11. A figure consists of a semi-circle with a rectangle on its diameter. Given the perimeter of the figure, find its dimensions
order that the area may be maximum.

OR

A window is in the form of a rectangle surmounted by a semi-circular opening. The total perimeter of the window is 10
m. find the dimensions of the windows to admit maximum light through the whole opening.

1  1 
12. Show that semi-vertical angle of a cone of maximum volume and given slant height is cos   .
 3

13. Prove that the least perimeter of an isosceles triangle in which a circle of radius r can be inscribed is 6 3 r.

14. A point on the hypotenuse of right triangle is at distances ‘a’ and ‘b’ from the sides of the triangle. Show that the
3
 2 
2 2
minimum length of the hypotenuse is  a 3  b 3 
 

x
15. The sum of surface areas of a sphere and a cuboid with sides , x and 2x is constant. Show that the sum of their
3
volumes is minimum if x is equal to the three times the radius of sphere.
16. AB is a diameter of a circle and C is any point on the circle. Show that the area of ABC is maximum, when it is
isosceles.

17. Of all the closed right circular cylindrical cans of volume 128  cm3, find the dimensions of the can which has minimum
surface area.

18. Show that the altitude of the right circular cone of maximum volume that can be inscribed in a sphere of radius r is
4r 8
. Also show that the maximum volume of the cone is of the volume of the sphere.
3 27

2R
19. Prove that the height of the cylinder of maximum volume, that can be inscribed in a sphere of radius R is . Also
3
find the maximum volume.

20. If the sum of the lengths of the hypotenuse and a side of a right-angled is given. Show that the area of triangle is
 
maximum when the angle between them is 60  i.e., 
 3

21. The sum of the perimeter of a circle and a square is K, where K is some constant. Prove that the sum of their areas is
least when the side of the square is double the radius of the circle.

OR

Given the sum of the perimeter of a square and a circle. Show that the sum of their areas is least when the side of the
square is equal to the diameter of the circle.

22. Show that of all the rectangles inscribed in a given fixed circle, the square has the maximum area.

x2 y 2
23. Find the area of the greatest rectangle that can be inscribed in an ellipse  =1.
a 2 b2

24. Prove that the radius of the right circular cylinder of greatest curved surface area which can be inscribed in a given
cone is half of that of the cone.

25. Prove that area of a right angled triangle of given hypotenuse is maximum when the triangle is isosceles.

26. Show that the height of a closed right circular cylinder of given surface and maximum volume, is equal to the diameter
of its base.

27. Show that the surface area of a closed cuboid with square base and given volume is minimum, when it is a cube.

28. Show that height of the cylinder of greatest volume which can be inscribed in a right circular cone of height h and
semi-vertical angle  , is one-third that of the cone. Hence find the greatest volume of the cylinder.

29. Show that the right circular cone of least curved surface and given volume has an altitude equal to 2 times the
radius of the base.

30. A wire of length 34 m is to be cut into two pieces. One of the pieces is to be made into a square and the other into a
rectangle whose length is twice its breadth. What should be the lengths of the two pieces, so that the combined area
of the square and the rectangle is minimum?

31. Find the minimum value of (ax  by), where xy  c 2

32. Show that of all the rectangles with a given perimeter, the square has the largest area.

33. Show that of all the rectangles of given area, the square has the smallest perimeter.

34. Find the point on the curve y 2  2 x which is at a minimum distance from the point (1, 4).
 x2 y 2
35. Find the maximum area of an isosceles triangle inscribed in the ellipse   1 , with its vertex at one end of the
25 16
major axis.

 x  x 
36. A manufacturer can sell x items at a price of Rs.  5   each. The cost price of x items is Rs.  ,500  . Find the
 100  5 
number of items he should sell to reach maximum profit.

37. A tank with rectangular base and rectangular sides, open at the top is to be constructed, so that its depth is 2m and
volume is 8 m3. If building of tank cost Rs.70 per sq m for the base and Rs.45 per sq m for sides. What is the cost of
least expensive tank?

38. Show that the right-circular cone of least curved surface and given volume has an altitude equal to 2 times the
radius of the base.

OR

Prove that the semi-vertical angle of the right circular cone of given volume and least curved surface area is cot 1 2

39. A window has the shape of a rectangle surmounted by an equilateral triangle. If the perimeter of the window is 12 m,
find the dimensions of the rectangle that will product the largest area of the window.

40. If length of three sides of a trapezium other than base are equal to 10 cm, then find the area of the trapezium when it
is maximum.

41. Find the maximum and minimum values of f ( x)  sec x  log cos 2 x, 0  x  2